


An aunt called Poppy

by LivingInTheLight



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: BAMF Molly, BAMF Poppy, Big Brother Dudley, Child Abuse, Cute Harry, Good Dudley Dursley, Good Dumbledore, Good Slytherins, Hermione Granger Bashing, M/M, Magical Dudley Dursley, Nice Dursley Family, Nice Vernon Dursley, Protectiveness, Relationships in later chapters, Ron Weasley Bashing, Violence, evil Petunia, more tags in later chapters, tiny harry
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-01
Updated: 2017-03-25
Packaged: 2018-09-13 23:22:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 14,682
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9146548
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LivingInTheLight/pseuds/LivingInTheLight
Summary: “Please, little one, please, stay strong. Daddy is here, everything will be okay. Just be strong for daddy now.” Vernon whispered with tears in his eyes.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone, I just started a new fic. The first chapters will be about a younger Harry, but later he'll go to Hogwarts. Read the tags for more information ;-)
> 
> Hope you enjoy it!
> 
> Happy 2017!!!   
> xxx  
> LivingInTheLight

_‘Good luck, Harry,’ he murmured. He turned on his heel and with a swish of his cloak he was gone._

_A breeze ruffled the neat hedges of Privet Drive, which lay silent and tidy under the inky sky, the very last place you would expect astonishing things to happen. Harry Potter rolled over inside his blankets without waking up. One small hand closed on the letter beside him and he slept on, not knowing he was special, not knowing he was famous, not knowing he would be woken in a few hours’ time by Mrs Dursley’s scream as she opened the front door to put out the milk bottles._ _[Harry Potter and the philosopher’s stone – JK Rowling]_

_  
_

The first thing Petunia did after finding the little boy, was panic. Why in God’s name would there be an infant on her doorstep? What sane person would ever do this on a cold November night? She grabbed the letter and quickly read it.

  


Dear Petunia

I am saddened to inform you that your sister Lily and her husband James passed away last night during a brave battle. They were killed by the Dark Lord Voldemort. Luckily their death was quick and painless without suffering. Their little boy, Harry James Potter, survived the attack and managed to destroy Voldemort. He will be revered in our world, but I want to make sure he has a quiet and peaceful childhood without the constant spotlight ruining his innocence.

I know you are not very familiar with the magical world, but I must ask you to take Harry in and protect him. You are the only family he has left, so I believe that your home will be the best solution for him. The blood you two share will protect both him and your family from people with dark intentions.

If you have any questions regarding magic or raising a wizard, please don’t hesitate to send me a letter and I will send someone to help. You can send a letter the muggle way and it will still reach me.

Yours sincerely

  


  


Not knowing what to do when she heard her husband coming down the stairs, Petunia quickly put the little boy in the cupboard under the stairs and the letter in the pocket of her dress. She was after all not allowed to tell her husband about the magical world, something about a statute of secrecy or such nonsense. Sometimes she wished she could, because she was sure that her husband would hate those disgusting freaks as much as she herself did. Her sister and that disgusting husband of her were the worst of them all.

“Good morning, dear. Did you have a pleasant night of sleep?” Vernon asked before kissing his wife gently on the lips.

“Of course, Vernon. It was okay. I should go wake our precious Diddykins.” She said before racing up the stairs.

Grumbling about how much he hated that name for his son, Vernon went into the kitchen and made himself a cup of coffee. Was it just him or was Petunia acting really strange this morning? Looking at the clock it was almost time to leave for work. He quickly grabbed an apple and his suitcase before leaving the house. Vernon hadn’t had the time to tell Petunia yet, but starting that day he was going on a diet. He had discussed it with his doctor and his sister Marge, both of them agreed and thought it would be good for his health. He had always been a tall and big man, but since his wedding the pounds had added very quickly.

 

* * *

The rest of the day Vernon wondered why his wife had acted so odd in the morning. He hadn’t done anything wrong, well not that he could remember. Deciding to leave work earlier, Vernon went to the nearest flower shop and bought a beautiful bouquet of red roses. He knew Petunia didn’t really like candy or he’d bought a box of chocolates too.

Opening the door of their house, Vernon immediately knew something was wrong. Petunia wasn’t home, but he could clearly hear a baby crying. On top of that, the crying didn’t sound familiar, so it couldn’t be Dudley. Looking in the living room he didn’t see a baby. The radio was off and so was the TV, so that couldn’t have made the noise either.

Following the noise, Vernon was surprised to end up in front of the cupboard under the stairs. Upon opening the door he saw a light blue blanket with the initials HJP. Underneath the blanket was a tuft of black hair visible.

“Hello little one. How did you end up here?” Vernon cooed while picking up the little bundle. The crying immediately quieted down to a soft hiccupping. “Why are you here, sweetie? Where is Petunia?” He asked while softly rocking the little boy.

Not expecting an answer, the man moved to the living room and sat down in his favourite couch. He opened the blanket carefully and looked at the little boy. What he saw were the most beautiful, green eyes he had ever seen before.

“Aren’t you a precious little tyke! I’ve never seen such beautiful eyes or such a cute little button nose.” Vernon said before bopping the child’s nose lightly. A soft little giggling was the only response he got. “Such a nice, little boy. I’m sure that my son Dudley will love playing with you.” Vernon grinned. He had always wanted a second child, but Petunia wasn’t having it.

All of a sudden he heard the keys at the door, signalling his wife’s return.

“Wasn’t that a nice walk in the park, Diddykins? Mommy loves walking with her precious little boy.” Petunia said in a high-pitched voice. “Vernon, what the hell do you think you are doing? Put it back in the cupboard! Quickly! Don’t touch that little freak.” She screamed when she saw her husband with the little bundle in his arms.

“What are you talking about, Petunia?” Vernon said warningly, not really believing what he was hearing. "Did you put this little boy in our cupboard under the stairs while you left the house? How dare you, he is even smaller than Dudley, the babe could have died!”

“That freak is my sister’s brat! I want nothing to do with him. My idiotic sister and her husband got themselves killed and now someone dropped that thing on our doorstep and wants us to keep him!” Petunia screeched, not noticing that Dudley had started to scream in her arms.

“Someone dropped him on our doorstep? It’s way too cold during the night! You found him like this and didn’t call the police or the hospital? What the hell is the matter with you?” Vernon said angrily, but still keeping his tone in check as not to scare the baby in his arms.

“Don’t you dare talk to me like that! I still am your wife! The brat doesn’t need the police or a hospital. We should just drop him in an orphanage before anyone notices he’s here. Let’s put him back in the cupboard and take care of it in the morning.” Petunia said with a slightly deranged look on her face. She had put Dudley down on the couch, not even noticing his crying.

“If you even think about abandoning our nephew, I won’t hesitate to divorce you, Petunia. He is a sweet little baby and we will keep him. You don’t even have to take care of him, we’ll hire a nanny and I’ll do most of it.” Vernon argued.

Scared of a divorce, Petunia started to panic. Vernon was well-off and the father of her Diddykins, she couldn’t divorce him! What would the neighbours or her gossiping-buddies think?

“Fine we’ll keep him. I’ll watch him when you’re working, but we won’t get a nanny! What would the neighbours think of that? They’ll believe I’m not able to handle two children.” Petunia said hysterically.

“Okay, tonight he will sleep in Dudley’s room and tomorrow we’ll transform one of the guest rooms into his very own bedroom.” Vernon grinned at his plan, already looking forward to decorating a second children’s room. “Do you know your nephew’s name, Petunia? We can’t keep calling him boy or baby.”

“Harry, the brat’s name is Harry James Potter.” Petunia answered sourly.

From that moment onward, Vernon decided to work from home most of the days in fear of what his wife would do to Harry. He still loved Petunia, but he had seen a new side of her that frankly disgusted him.


	2. Daddy Dursley

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning:   
> This chapter contains violence against a child.   
> I didn't go into detail, because I am completely against any violence, but this is part of the story...

It was two years since Petunia found Harry on her doorstep and nothing had been the same since. Vernon had lost almost a hundred pounds due to regular exercising and healthy eating, he was no longer the obese, short-tempered man. In fact he was a loving father and an asset to his firm, Grunnings. Petunia on the other hand still was a disgusting, banshee of a woman that liked to gossip with the neighbours and about the neighbours. She still hated every cell of her nephew’s little body and detested his very being. In the beginning she had tried to pit Dudley against Harry and Vernon, but it didn’t work. Her little Dudders simply loved his smaller nephew and always wanted to play with him. If she even dared to raise her voice against the brat, Dudley would start screaming until his father entered the room and protected the both of them.

Her marriage suffered and even her own son didn’t like her anymore. And it was all the fault of that obnoxious freak!

On a Sunday afternoon Vernon was out with his sister Marge and wouldn’t be back for a couple of hours. That meant that Petunia was home alone with the two toddlers. Dudley and Harry were quietly playing with the blocks in the living room, like they did almost every day. They acted like most brothers do, talking in their own little language with a couple of recognizable words.

“Hawwy play blocks…” Dudley muttered.

“Hihihi, Duddey, make castle with Hawwy…” Harry giggled. He truly enjoyed playing with Dudley. In his little mind, Dudley was the best, the perfect older brother and perfect playmate.

“Daddy with auntie Maggie, he play with Hawwy and Duddey later…” The older one said, not noticing that his mother had joined them in the living room while glaring daggers at the small black haired boy.

“Hawwy miss daddy and auntie. Auntie bring candy!” The moment Harry uttered the word daddy, Petunia saw red! How dare that little freak call her husband daddy! With two quick strides she was across the living room and grabbing Harry by his little arm.

“You little bastard! Vernon isn’t your father, how dare you call him that? You have gone too far this time, freak! I’ve been waiting to do this from the moment I first saw you and Vernon isn’t here to protect you right now.” The raging woman smacked Harry as hard as she could in the face. The force of the smack pushed him to the ground and the little boy immediately started crying. Seeing Harry cry, Dudley joined him soon afterwards.

With the boy down on the ground, Petunia started to kick the small body as hard as she could, one painful blow succeeding the other with no relieve. Some of them hitting him in the chest, others in his stomach and occasionally even against his head. The tiny 3-year old had never felt such pain and was almost unconscious. He felt the floor move underneath him and noticed that Petunia had picked him up. The moment the glass table shattered under his weight, he lost consciousness completely. Not noticing the shocked looks of Vernon and Marge when they raced inside.

 

* * *

 

“Marge call the police and an ambulance, quick!” Vernon yelled at his sister when he saw the broken body of the boy he considered his second son. He ran to the table, attempting to pick up Harry’s body without injuring him even further. Glass shards and spatters of dark red blood were spread everywhere on the floor.

“Please, little one, please, stay strong. Daddy is here, everything will be okay. Just be strong for daddy now.” Vernon whispered with tears in his eyes.

“How dare you, Vernon? Dudley is your only son, that freak is an unwanted burden. We should have gotten rid of him years ago. I did all of us a favour.” Petunia yelled in a crazed tone. She turned around to pick up Dudley, but saw that Marge was already holding him. Her little son was looking fearfully at her and her sister-in-law was looking disgusted.

When she heard the sirens in the distance, Petunia made a move to run away, but Marge was blocking her path quite effectively. Still thinking she had done nothing wrong, she wasn’t scared of the police.

 

* * *

 

The arrest was quick, the hearing and sentencing even quicker. The jury was unanimous and sentenced Petunia Evans, formerly known as Petunia Dursley, to a lifetime in prison for child abuse and attempted murder. Without having to worry about his ex-wife’s bad influence, Vernon decided to officially adopt Harry.

Although the arrest was quick, Harry’s healing process wasn’t. The ambulance was just in time, but when they arrived at the hospital, the little boy had lost a dangerous amount of blood. On top of that, the kicks to his chest had broken three ribs and one had punctured a lung. His abdomen was bruised severely and his body was littered with bruises. All of these things could be fatal for a three-year old, but it wasn’t even the worst of it all. There was a slight swelling in the brain after a kick in the head and the collision with the glass table. 

Vernon didn’t leave Harry’s hospital room the entire time that Harry was unconscious while Marge took care of Dudley and visited them every day. After a week in the hospital, Harry finally woke up for the first time. Unfortunately he was in so much pain that the doctors decided to put him to sleep a little while longer.

In the end it took Harry another week to be completely awake. He was still in a lot of pain, but the medication helped a great deal. On the second day of being awake he got to hear the good news of the adoption. Let’s just say that his smile didn’t even leave his face in his sleep.

It would be a tough couple of months for the Dursleys, Vernon realised. None of them would ever be the same. It didn’t matter how tough it would get, he wasn’t alone. His sister Marge loved his two sons and she would support him every step of the way. Before falling asleep Vernon thought that no three-year old should have survived this, it was almost as if magic was involved. 


	3. Letter in the drawer

Harry was back home for the first time in four months. His stay at the hospital had been tough, but his daddy, his auntie and big brother had been there for him every step of the way. The employees at the hospital had been very kind too. Not surprisingly, because Harry had them all wrapped around his little finger since the first day. Nevertheless the boy was looking forward to going home, even though a piece of him was still very frightened. Logically he knew that Petunia wouldn’t be there, but he would still have to face the living room where it all happened.

“How are you feeling buddy? Are you happy to be home?” Vernon asked his youngest son while exiting the car.

“Scared, daddy. Happy too. Harry home with Duddey, daddy and auntie now.” The small boy said while hugging his father.

Vernon picked up the raven-haired boy and carried him inside the house. Together they opened the door to the living room. Inside of it were Marge and Dudley, both of them cheering when they saw Vernon and Harry. The room was decorated with a brightly coloured banner, reading ‘Welcome home, Harry!’ In the middle of the room was a new wooden table, carrying a big chocolate cake.

Vernon put Harry on the floor and the small boy immediately ran to his brother and hugged him closely.

“Missed you Duddey.” He whispered.

 

* * *

 

 

That night and more nights to come, Harry slept in the same bed as Dudley. Too scared to stay in his own room in fear of his evil aunt returning.

Everything was going back to normal without the interferences of Petunia. Marge had moved in temporally to help Vernon raise the boys and also to help with Harry’s rehabilitation. It was going slowly, but the boy was already able to walk again without much difficulty.  He occasionally got a terrible headache and had to go lie down for a bit, but nothing out of the ordinary according to the doctors.

After a year under the loving care of his family, Harry was almost back to his old self. The only things remaining were the scars all over his little body. Sometimes Harry still suffered from headaches and he would never be as good in sports as other boys his age due to his shortness of breath caused by the punctured lung. But all in all, Harry was doing great.

“Vernon, don’t you think it is time to remove all of Petunia’s stuff out of the house? I talked to some lawyers and as all of her things are legally yours, you are allowed to sell it or give it away to charity.” Marge said on a lazy afternoon. The boys were at kindergarten and she and Vernon were sipping their afternoon tea.

“Yeah, I guess you are right Marge. I don’t even know why I kept it so long. I truly loath that bitch, but she is still Dudley’s mother.” He sighed.

“I know, but you should start a new chapter with your two sons. Dudley hates her too and will never see her again. She is locked up for life and won’t be coming back. Why don’t we start by cleaning up her clothes in your room?”

Both brother and sister went to Vernon’s room and grabbed some big plastic bags. All the clothes went in without further care. Hopefully they would be making a local thrift shop very happy in the future. While Vernon was gone to get some more bags, Marge was busy emptying the underwear drawer. At the back, under a pile of bras, she found a piece of paper. Her curiosity piqued, she grabbed the letter and sat down on the bed. Reading through it, she was shocked and didn’t even hear Vernon returning.

“What’s the matter Marge, what are you holding?” Vernon asked.

“I… I think I know why the bitch hates little Harry so much…” Marge whispered. If Vernon hadn’t paid attention, he wouldn’t have heard. “How dare that bitch!? Harry is completely innocent!”

“Please, explain Marge! Let me see that letter.” Vernon said before grabbing the piece of paper. “Wait what, magical world? Wizard? Do you think they mean like cousin Poppy?” He whispered, completely shocked.

“Yes, I think you are right, Vernon. It seems Lily and James were wizards, and so is our little Harry. How could Petunia ever blame a baby for what he was born with? I know it can be shocking. All of us were shocked when cousin Poppy got her letter from that special school on her eleventh birthday, but we were all very happy for her.” Marge said.

“Do you think we should contact her? I haven’t seen her in almost ten years. We still get a Christmas card each year, but that’s about it.” Vernon asked.

“That would be best, we’ll just write her a letter and hopefully she’ll respond.” Marge suggested.

 

* * *

 

 

Two days later in the Hogwarts’ infirmary nurse Poppy Pomfrey received a letter.

Dear Poppy

I regret not having contacted you sooner, but we are both part of different worlds. I hope you are doing well, but I must ask you for your help.

As you probably know, I married a woman named Petunia and together we got a beautiful son named Dudley. A couple of years ago, a baby was left on our front step and I fell in love with him upon first sight. Unfortunately Petunia hated the little boy, because he was the son of her deceased sister.

Almost two years ago, Petunia tried to kill Harry. She was arrested and sentenced to a lifetime in jail. I adopted Harry soon after, he was in the hospital for a long time, but recovered almost completely, we are finally happy now.

Today, Marge and I decided, after a long time of procrastinating, to clean out Petunia’s stuff and give it away to charity. In a drawer we found a letter that was very disturbing. It was a letter of one Albus Dumbledore to Petunia, explaining how Harry was magical and that his parents were killed in a battle with a Dark Lord. We just read it and think that the reason she hated Harry so much was because he was magical like his parents.

Both Marge and I already know about the existence of magic, because we were there when you received your letter. I hate to ask this, but I don’t really know what to do. I don’t know anything about magic, but I want to help Harry to the best of my abilities.

Could you please contact us when you get this letter?

Yours

Vernon Dursley

Poppy immediately had to sit down in shock. Vernon and Marge had always been her favourite cousins, but they had grown apart after she entered the magical world. After rereading the letter she gasped in shock again. Albus Dumbledore… Harry… parents died… Dark Lord… Oh sweet Merlin, Vernon adopted the hero of the wizarding world, Harry Potter. And worst of all, his ex-wife Petunia had abused the boy-who-lived.

She got up and ran to the headmaster’s office. Hopefully he could help them. She was there sooner than expected and started to bang her fist on the Gargoyle until it opened.

“Goodness, Poppy, why are you making so much noise? What can I do for you?” the headmaster asked.

“Albus, please, read this letter. I just received it and immediately came here.” Poppy wheezed, exhausted from running so fast.

“Dear Merlin, poor family. We must go there right now.” Albus stood up and waved his wand. Two identical phoenixes came out of the top and ran through the solid walls of the round office.

Not even five minutes later, Minerva McGonagall and Severus Snape entered the office. Showing them the letter, all four of them grabbed the portkey that Albus had created a moment earlier. Before anyone knew it, their feet touched the green grass of number four, Privet Drive.

 

 


	4. Family reunited

_Knock knock_

“Poppy, it’s been too long, how wonderful to see you again! Thank you for coming so quickly.” Vernon said relieved upon opening the door.

“Vernon, I missed you and Marge too. It’s no problem, I’m happy to help. Why don’t we go inside so I can introduce you to everyone?” Poppy hugged her cousin before entering the house.

Marge was sitting on the couch in the living room before she quickly got up to hug her cousin.

“Poppy, how lovely to see you. You haven’t aged a day since I last saw you.” Marge grinned.

“Oh hush you, Marge. Nice to see you again.” Poppy blushed.

Everyone sat down in the living room before introductions were made.

“Vernon, Marge, I’d like to introduce you to Albus Dumbledore. He is the headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, he is also the one that send Petunia the letter.” Before Poppy could continue, Vernon interrupted.

“So you are the one who left my infant son on a doorstep in November! It was cold that night and he only had a blanket to protect him! How dare you?” Vernon said angrily. This had been bothering him for a long time.

“I am truly sorry, mister Dursley. I wanted Harry to be happy and knew that Petunia didn’t like me very much, because I denied her request to come to Hogwarts. I thought that the less contact I had with her, the better she would take care of Harry. Foolish of me, I know. I however would never leave Harry in the cold. He had multiple protective wards on him and also a heating charm to keep him warm. He was never in any kind of danger.” Albus defended.

“I’m sorry, sir, but you have to understand where I’m coming from, and I didn’t know that. Harry is very important to me and I will protect him from anyone who doesn’t have his best interest at heart.” Vernon apologized.

“That’s quite all right. I’m truly happy to see that Harry found someone who loves him so much.” Albus said.

“Okay now that that’s solved, I’ll continue the introduction. Next is Minerva McGonagall, she is the transfiguration teacher and was a maternal figure to Lily and James while at school. Finally, we have Severus Snape, he looks a bit grouchy, but he was Lily’s best friend.” Poppy continued. “Professors, these are my cousins, Vernon and Marge Dursley.”

After everyone was introduced, Marge went to the kitchen to get everyone a cup of tea.

“Vernon, could you please tell us what happened after we left Harry in your care?” Albus asked.

“Of course, Petunia found him on our front step and decided to hide him from me. She was acting really odd in the morning, but I had to go to work. I thought she was upset, so I decided to leave work early and surprise her with some flowers. When I arrived home, nor she nor Dudley were there, but I heard some crying. That’s when I found him, stashed away in our cupboard under the stairs. I took him out of it and calmed him down. Harry was the most beautiful baby, he had raven black hair, bright green eyes and a little button nose. When Petunia came home, she freaked out when she saw me with the baby. She started yelling and calling him a freak. Told me he was her nephew and should go to an orphanage, she didn’t even notice that she was scaring Dudley. By that time I had already fallen in love with the little boy and wanted to keep him. I had always wanted a second child against Petunia’s wishes. After more screaming, I threatened to divorce her if she got rid of Harry. For two years everything seemed fine. Petunia still didn’t like Harry and ignored him as much as possible. Sometimes she yelled at him, but Dudley, Marge or I would always stop her. On an afternoon Marge and I were out and she was alone with the boys. I always tried to avoid that and had even started working from home most of the time. Apparently Harry called me daddy and Petunia freaked out. When we got home Harry was unconscious and had bruises over his entire body. He had a concussion, three broken ribs and a collapsed lung. Worst of all was all the blood he had lost, Petunia had picked him up and thrown him through a glass table…” Vernon had to stop talking, because tears were flowing from his eyes.

“It’s alright brother, Harry is fine, and we were on time.” Marge whispered comfortingly.  “She can’t hurt him anymore.”

Vernon wasn’t the only one with tears in his eyes. Both Minerva and Poppy were crying silently. Even the stoic potion's master and cheerful headmaster were silent.

“Thanks, Marge, I’m better. The ambulance was just in time and the doctors did all they could. Harry had a long recovery, but he’s doing much better. He still has a lot of scars, suffers from terrible headaches every couple of weeks and he has a shortness of breath if he exercises, but otherwise he is doing fine. Our little boy is a true fighter.” Vernon grinned.

Seeing how her brother was distracted, Marge decided to continue the story.

“Two days ago, we decided to donate all of Petunia’s clothes to a thrift shop. It was something we were planning for some time, but always postponed doing. In one of her drawers we found the letter you sent her, Albus. We figured that Harry is magical and that was why Petunia hated him so much. Luckily, both Vernon and I already knew about the existence of magic thanks to Poppy. We want to help Harry get familiar with the magical world, but don’t know where to start. That’s why we need some help.” Marge explained.

“I knew Petunia when we were younger. She was always jealous of Lily, especially of her magic. She even send Albus a letter to get accepted to Hogwarts, but muggles can’t be accepted. Afterwards, she turned vicious and bullied Lily until the day she moved and they lost contact. I never like Petunia, but even I can’t understand how she could do that to a child.” Severus said quietly. Normally he wouldn’t want anything to do with a child of Potter, but this was Lily’s child too. Lily had been like a sister to him, which meant that the boy who had been almost killed by his own aunt, was like a nephew to him.

“I think I speak for all of us if we say that we would like to help. Maybe we can all go to Diagon Alley and let you see our world with your own eyes.” Minerva suggested.

“Thank you, we would appreciate that. Harry and Dudley should be home any minute now. Mrs Polkiss is bringing them home from school.” Just as Vernon said this, they heard a car stop in front of the house.


	5. Explanations

“Daddy… daddy… Guess what we did today!” Dudley yelled while running inside. Not even noticing the unfamiliar adults in the room.  “We played hide and seek and Harry won! Don’t know how, but he was on the roof. Ms Jones had to take a ladder and get him off. How cool is that?”

“Wait what? Dudley slow down a bit. What happened?” Vernon looked behind his son, hoping to see Harry was alright. “Come here, Harry. No need to be scared of these people, no-one is going to hurt you.” Harry was hiding in the hallway and peeking through the door. The moment he heard his daddy, he ran inside and crawled into Vernon’s lap. Logically he knew his daddy wouldn’t let anyone hurt him, but he still wasn’t fond of strangers.

“Didn’t mean to, daddy. I wanted to hide and all of a sudden I was on the roof. Was scared, daddy. Didn’t dare to come down alone.” Harry whispered.

“Merlin, apparating as a form of accidental magic. That’s unheard of…” Minerva whispered.

“It’s alright Harry, I think I know what happened. These people will be able to explain everything to you.” Vernon said after hearing Minerva’s words. “Harry, Dudley, I want you to meet our cousin Poppy Pomfrey. Next to her are Severus Snape, Minerva McGonagall and Albus Dumbledore, they are teachers at a school you will go to in a couple of years.”

Harry smiled shyly at the adults and gave a tiny wave.

“Hello Harry, you have grown so much. The last time we saw you, you were only a little baby.” Albus smiled. The smile was a bit strained when he saw all the scars on Harry’s face, neck and arms. The rest of his body wasn’t visible, but the old man knew there were many more.

“We knew your parents, Lily and James Potter. They were just like you, both very powerful and capable of doing extraordinary things. Your parents were wizards, Harry, just like you and just like me.”

“Wizards? Like the stories daddy tells us about magic? Is it real?” Harry asked excitedly. The stories about Merlin and King Arthur were his favourite bedtime stories. Dudley on the other hand loved to hear stories about dragons and knights.

“Yes, magic is real. When you are eleven, you will get a letter to our school, Hogwarts. We will teach you as much as we can. Luckily, we have the opportunity to meet you today, so we can already teach you a lot, if you want.” Minerva added.

“Magic sounds really cool. Your school too, but what about Dudley? I don’t want to go to a new school without him!” Harry said while grabbing Dudley’s hand. His older brother also grabbed him closely. Not wanting these strange people to take his little brother away. Harry was his!

“I don’t think that will be a problem, son.” Vernon said, sharing a smile with Marge. “When you were little, Petunia was out of the house doing groceries. You and Harry were in your cribs, but Harry was starting to have a nightmare. You were still awake, but unable to get out of your crib and join Harry’s. Not wanting him to be alone, you levitated your teddy bear to Harry so he could hug it.”

Pleased with that response Dudley joined Harry on their daddy’s lap and hugged his little brother closely.

“You have very impressive sons, Vernon.” Poppy smiled. “However, there is more that you should know. Harry isn’t an ordinary wizard. He is famous in our world, loved by most, hated by some. When he joins our world, his life will never be the same again.”

“What do you mean? Does it have anything to do with that Dark Lord mentioned in the letter?” Vernon asked a bit panicked. How could anyone hate his little boy?

“Yes, you are right. Almost twenty years ago, an evil wizard named Voldemort began a war in the magical world. He had a large following, with many people wanting to change and destroy our world. You should know that there are four types of magical people: pure-bloods, half-bloods, muggleborns and squibs. The pure-bloods are descending from long lines of wizards and witches, they often think that they are better than others, because they grew up with magic. Don’t get me wrong, not all pure-bloods are like that. Next, there are the half-bloods. They have at least one magical parent, sometimes both parents are magical, but their grandparents aren’t. Harry is considered a half-blood. Next, we have the muggleborns. As the name says, they have muggle parents, meaning they don’t have magic, Dudley is a prime example. Pure-bloods often don’t like them, because they are new to our world and want to make changes to ancient rituals that the pure-bloods hold dear. Lastly, there are squibs, meaning they come from magical parents, but aren’t magical themselves.” Albus stopped his explanation to drink a sip of his tea.

“Voldemort wants to eradicate our world of all muggleborns, even though he is a half-blood himself. He had, and still has, many followers that believe his insanity. There were thousands of innocent lives lost before he finally fell. He was finally stopped by the youngest Potter a couple of years ago. The Potters knew they were targeted, so they went into hiding. Unfortunately they trusted the wrong person with their safety and Voldemort found them. After a brave battle, Lily and James were killed protecting their son. When Voldemort tried to kill young Harry, the curse rebounded somehow and ended up destroying Voldemort’s body. No-one knows what happened that night for sure. But that night Harry became our saviour, he survived a curse no-one survived before and the only thing he got from it was a scar of a lightning bolt on his forehead.” Albus finished.

“You think he will come back, don’t you? You said destroyed his body, not killed him.” Vernon asked perceptively.

“Indeed, I believe he will be coming back. The first thing he’ll want to do is take his revenge on Harry. Something in me wants to hide Harry away and protect him, but that won’t be a good life for a young boy. That’s why I want to train him so that when the day comes, he will be able to protect himself.” Albus admitted.

“Okay, I want to do what is best for Harry. I want to prepare him before he enters your world. Where should we start?” Vernon asked a bit timidly.

“I think visiting Diagon Alley would be a good start.” Albus said with twinkling eyes.


	6. Diagon Alley

Minerva and Severus decided to go back to the school and meet the Dursleys at a later date. That meant that only Albus, Poppy, Marge, Vernon, Dudley and Harry were going to Diagon Alley. The portkey, once only a normal handkerchief, dropped them in a back alley close to the Leaky Cauldron.

“We are in the centre of London and need to go to a pub named the Leaky Cauldron. You won’t be able to see it right now, because you are muggles and this is your first time. If you want to come back without one of us, the entryway will recognize you and allow you entrance.” Poppy explained.

When they arrived at the pub, Poppy led them inside by the hand. It was a really strange feeling to enter a building without seeing it. Inside they saw the bartender nodding politely to their little company. Without any disturbances, they walked through the backdoor into a little courtyard with dustbins. Albus grabbed his wand and pointed it at some bricks, immediately a doorway formed.

“If you are here without us, you can always ask a passenger to let you through. Tom, the bartender, will also help you out if need be.” Albus said.

Behind the doorway was a bright street, with all kinds of people bustling about. There were shops everywhere, some selling weird thing the Dursleys had never seen before.

“Let’s first visit Gringotts, which is our wizarding bank. The Potters were a rich pure-blood family so they left Harry a lot of money and family heirlooms. Most of it is blocked until his sixteenth birthday, but they probably have a lot of books and pictures in their family vault. Wizards have their own currency. The wizarding currency of the United Kingdom consists of three different coins; in decreasing order of value, they are: Galleon, Sickle and Knut. They are gold, silver, and bronze, respectively. There are 17 Sickles in a Galleon, and 29 Knuts in a Sickle, meaning there are 493 Knuts to a Galleon. The value of a Galleon is about five pounds.” Albus explained. [Harry Potter wikia ;-) ]

In front of them was a huge white building. It was made of pure marble and reflected the sun so that it seemed to be made of millions of small diamonds.

“Don’t get frightened when you enter the building. The bank is run by goblins, they aren’t the friendliest bunch, but they are very reliable and honourable.” Poppy reassured them.

Vernon’s fear that Harry would get scared around the goblins was for naught. The moment Harry saw a goblin he walked up to it and offered his hand.

“Hello mister, I’m Harry. Thank you for keeping my money safe while my mommy and first daddy were gone.” Harry smiled. The goblin was shocked and accepted the tiny handshake, not knowing how to reply. Behind them Albus was chuckling, while Vernon shook his head in disbelief.

When they reached the teller, Harry had already impressed all of the goblins. The little boy would be the talk of the day and he hadn’t even been in the building for five minutes.

 

* * *

 

One hour later they left the bank with their money transferred and some pictures of Lily and James. Much to Dudley’s amazement the pictures were moving around.

“Where do we go next?” Marge asked.

“Normally children only get their wands when they turn eleven, but I think in the case of Harry and Dudley it should be an exception. I want them to be prepared when they first enter Hogwarts.” Albus said. “You will have to be very strict, Vernon. I will create some very advanced wards around your home so that the ministry won’t detect any underage magic. However, this right shouldn’t be abused. The boys are still very unfamiliar with magic and you nor Marge can help them if anything goes wrong. I must ask you to keep their wands locked away when they don’t have any supervision.”

“Of course, Albus. I don’t want them to be in any danger. Are they still allowed to read all the books about magic? I don’t want to keep their heritage from them.” Vernon said.

“Thank you for understanding. And I would only encourage it if they want to read more books. Knowledge is power after all.” Albus grinned. “So now that we agree, let’s go to Ollivander. He is our very own wandmaker.”

Together they entered a very old shop with only a purple pillow in the window.

“Albus, how wonderful to see you again. How can I help you?” An old man asked. He looked behind the headmaster and saw the two young boys. “Is that who I think it is, Albus?”

“Indeed, old friend. I am counting on your discretion today, Garrick. As you know, our world has been through some tough times and there will be more to come. I want to prepare these two boys for the future. Can I count on you?” Albus asked severely.

“You know you can, Albus.” Ollivander grabbed his wand and made an extra promise. “I, Garrick Ollivander, promise to keep this encounter a secret in order to protect our world.”

“Thank you, this means a lot to me.” Albus said shocked, a wizarding promise wasn’t a joke. “Let’s start with Dudley.”

The moment Albus said it a measuring tape came to life and started to measure everything, ranging from the length of Dudley’s arms to the longest hair on his head. When the tape stopped, Ollivander grabbed a couple of wands. The first one caused a small explosion, while the second one turned the counter a bright green. Luckily, the third one was the right one. The moment Dudley touched it, fireworks came out of the tip.

“Your wand is made of mahogany, it is 9 inches and pliable, the core is a unicorn hair. The mahogany tree symbolises strength, safety, protectiveness, and practicality. Interesting to know is that your uncle, James Potter had the same type of wood.” Ollivander explained.

Dudley was beaming with pride and eagerly showing of his wand to everyone. His uncle James had protected Harry and so would he!

Next was Harry’s turn. The measuring tape did the exact same things it had done to Dudley. However, that is where the similarities stopped. Harry’s quest to find a wand wasn’t as easy. It took nearly the entire shop before Ollivander found the right one. Some of them spitted fire, while others make loud screeching noises. After each failed attempt Ollivander seemed to get more joyful, while Harry seemed to slowly lose hope. Maybe everyone was wrong and he couldn’t do magic after all.

Finally just before Harry wanted to give up, he felt it. It was an amazing feeling, as if he was finally complete. The wand in his hand didn’t just give fireworks like Dudley’s, but in the distance you could clearly hear the heavenly singing of a choir of angels.

“That was just beautiful, I love it when I find a perfect match. It only happens once in a generation, funny that it is you, Mr Potter-Dursley, because the last one was your mother. Your wand is made of beech, it is 11 inches with a phoenix feather core. It is a nice and supple wand, perfect for you. The true match for a beech wand will be, if young, wise beyond his or her years, and if full-grown, rich in understanding and experience. Beech wands perform very weakly for the narrow-minded and intolerant. When properly matched, the beech wand is capable of a subtlety and artistry rarely seen in any other wood, hence its lustrous reputation.” Ollivander explained again.

Just like Dudley had done previously, Harry was beaming with pride. He proudly showed his wand to Dudley. Behind his back Albus and Ollivander traded an impressed look. Beech was a very coveted wand wood. It only responded to the purest of heart.

After paying their bill, the group of six left the shop and went back to the busy alley.

“I suggest we go to Flourish and Blotts next. We don’t need to buy any practical material, I think. I’m sure that Severus will bring his own potion supplies when he starts teaching the boys. If we forget something, we can always come back another time.” Albus said before leading them to the bookshop.

 

* * *

 

The small family got back home a couple of hours later after saying goodbye to Albus and Poppy. Both boys had chosen a ton of books on top of the ones Albus had pointed out. Albus had given them all the introduction books that would teach them the basics of magic, the different courses, the traditions and even the importance of politics in the wizarding world. After all, Harry would become Lord Potter one day and he should be prepared.

It was already quite clear what the boys’ interests were. Dudley automatically bought books about defence and transfiguration, while Harry bought books about charms and potions.


	7. First lessons

Harry was practically vibrating on his chair. Severus could be there any minute for their first lesson. Next to Harry, Dudley was of the exact same mind. He couldn’t wait for his lessons in magic. Magic sounded amazing!

All of a sudden the flames in the fireplace turned a bright green instead of the usual red-orange. Out stepped a tall man dressed in all black.

“That was so cool, Mr Snape! How did you do that?” Dudley said in awe.

“Yesterday we connected your fireplace to the floo network. This way other people who know the password and have access to a fireplace and floo powder can enter the house through the floo. If you don’t want to visit, but only want to talk to them, you can only enter your face into the fire.” Severus explained.

“This is so awesome! Magic is so awesome!” Dudley exclaimed.

“Indeed, it is. Now let’s start with an introduction before your first lesson.” Severus said before taking a seat at the living room table. The two boys quickly followed him and were ready to listen to the professor’s every word.

“When I am teaching the two of you, you will call me professor or sir. If we are meeting in a more private setting you are allowed to call me Severus. Is that clear?” Severus asked in his usual strict voice.

“Yes sir!” The two boys said enthusiastically, not at all intimidated by his tone of voice. The students at Hogwarts would be trembling on their legs after just one word.

“Very well. You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making," he began. He spoke in barely more than a whisper, but they caught every word. “I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death—if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach." He finished with a slight smile. Merlin, he loved that speech! (AN: Don’t we all? ;-) )

The two boys’ eyes were wide as saucers. They couldn’t wait to start their lessons.

“On top of potions, I’ll also teach you defence against the dark arts and herbology. Professor McGonagall will teach you transfiguration and charms; finally headmaster Dumbledore will teach you wizarding etiquette, history and magical theory.” Professor Snape finished.

“Thank you for taking the time to teach us, professor.” Harry said softly, bringing a smile on Severus’ face.

“You are welcome. The only thing I demand is your complete attention and best effort.” Professor Snape said. Getting twin enthusiastic nods, he was finally looking forward to teaching again.

After this followed a two-hour explanation about the usage of potions, the importance of adding the right ingredients and the risks of adding the wrong ones. He also put emphasis on the importance of timing, heating, stirring and preparing the ingredients.

“Are there any questions?” Professor Snape asked after his explanation. While Dudley didn’t have any questions and was still processing all the information, Harry decided to ask one.

“Why doesn’t everyone use potions if they can fix so much? Wouldn’t you be able to sell them to muggles and create something that could cure cancer or other diseases?” Harry asked with a quiet voice, not wanting to be mean to his new teacher by implying he didn’t want to help the muggles.

“Excellent question, Harry. A lot of wizards don’t use potions, for the simple fact that they can’t make them themselves and have to buy them at a pharmacy, which isn’t always cheap. There are also charms that can solve some problems, but they aren’t as effective and long-lasting. For your second question, most potions don’t work on muggles. There are some ingredients like boomslang skin, asphodel and dittany that don’t work on non-magical people, because they influence the magical core. Other potions that only use ingredients like cinnamon, leeches, frog brain and horned slug will be able to help muggles.” Severus explained.

“Oh, too bad. Do potions work on squibs?” Harry asked curiously.

“Another good question, Harry.” Severus said impressed, he already liked teaching the boys. “It is suggested that squibs still have a magical core, but are unable to reach it and use it. That is why potions can still affect them. They may not be as effective as for wizards and witches, but can still save a life. Most squibs are even able to brew the simplest of potions themselves, of course only the ones that don’t require wands.”

“Now I want to start the two of you on your first practical exercise.” Severus said which brought a smile on the boys’ faces. “However I won’t have you brewing just yet. Unfortunately I can’t use this method of teaching at Hogwarts, because there isn’t enough time, but with you I want to teach you how to prepare the ingredients thoroughly before starting the brewing-process.”

Still exited, the trio went to the kitchen. Severus grabbed two cutting boards and two sharp knives. He opened the fridge and took out a variety of vegetables. There were some tomatoes, carrots, peppers and zucchinis. At the confused looks on the boys’ faces, professor Snape explained the purpose of today’s lesson.

“The first few lessons we won’t use magical ingredients, because you have to know how everything interacts in detail. One wrong ingredient and your potion explodes. Today, I’ll teach you the differences between all cutting techniques. You’ll learn to dice, cut, chop, mince and crush. Each different technique will give you a different result, because the size of an ingredient matters and the amount of juice you subtract can change the efficiency of a potion.”

It didn’t take long for Harry to master the techniques. He always liked helping his uncle in the kitchen. Dudley was also able to do it by the end of the lesson, but he was still looking forward to learning other branches of magic. Cooking was fun for a while, but he craved more action. He needed to learn how to fight and duel in order to protect his little, innocent brother.


	8. Aunt Poppy brings news

The next couple of years went by smoothly for the small family. Marge had permanently moved in with her dog Ripper. The dog adored the two boys and became vicious when he felt someone was threatening them. Poppy visited her cousins almost every weekend and the Hogwarts’ professors soon became a part of the family.

The boys’ powers also strengthened day by day and their knowledge improved after each lesson. Both professor Snape and professor McGonagall were strict teachers, but their methods clearly worked.  The headmaster had a completely different approach. He liked to make jokes and tell interesting stories to prove his point. History had never been so interesting. Myths about Merlin or the founders soon became a theatre play with transfigured utensils.

It was a week before Harry’s eleventh birthday when Poppy came to visit with a big smile on her face.

“Aunt Poppy, do you have it? Is it time?” Dudley yelled while running to his aunt. At a more sedate pace, his little brother followed him. Harry may not have been so loud, but it was clear that he was as excited as his brother.

“Yes boys, Minerva just wrote them and agreed that I could bring them.” Without any further ado, she gave her nephews the long anticipated letters.

Dudley had already opened his letter in a hurry and was showing their dad before Harry had the chance to move. When he opened it, he had a large smile on his face.

 

 

HOGWARTS SCHOOL  _of_  WITCHCRAFT  _and_  WIZARDRY

 

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore

_(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,  
Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)_

 

Dear Mr Potter-Dursley

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.

Yours sincerely,

 

 

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress

 

 

When Harry saw the list of items, there were only a couple of things that he didn’t have yet. He quickly grabbed a pen and checked everything.

 

**UNIFORM**

First-year students will require:

  1. ~~Three sets of plain work robes (black)~~
  2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear
  3. ~~One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)~~
  4. One winter cloak (black, with silver fastenings)



Please note that all pupil's clothes should carry name tags.

**COURSE BOOKS**

All students should have a copy of each of the following:

  * ~~The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk~~
  * A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot
  * ~~Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling~~
  * ~~A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch~~
  * ~~One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore~~
  * ~~Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger~~
  * Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander
  * The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble



**OTHER EQUIPMENT**

  * ~~1 wand~~
  * ~~1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)~~
  * ~~1 set glass or crystal phials~~
  * 1 telescope
  * ~~1 set brass scales~~



Students may also bring, if they desire, an owl OR a cat OR a toad.

PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICK

 

* * *

 

 

Poppy decided to accompany the boys and Vernon to Diagon Alley, because Marge was visiting some friends. It was quite busy in the Alley, so the adults decided to split up. While Harry and Poppy went to get their books, Vernon went to Madam Malkin’s with Dudley to get some new robes. The boy just grew like a weed, in contrast to his little brother. Harry was just that… little.

“Dad, this is awesome! I just hope Harry and I will end up in the same house. We could share a room and have all of our classes together!” Dudley beamed.

“After the books I’ve read and explanations I’ve heard, I’m pretty sure that you’ll be a Gryffindor, son. You are very brave and not afraid to speak your mind. However, I think it is doubtful that Harry will follow you. You are brothers and best friends, but you are completely different people. Harry is more quiet and cautious. He examines every situation carefully before doing anything. It’s not a bad thing, but I’m afraid we still have Petunia to blame for that.” Vernon sighed. He still cursed his ex-wife every day for what she did to his little boy.

“I know dad. I don’t care which house Harry will be in. I’ll protect him no matter what. I’ve done so in muggle school and I’ll do so at Hogwarts. Harry is famous in the wizarding world and I don’t want people to use him for his money or fame. I also don’t want them to be mean because of his scars.” Dudley said worriedly. Children can be cruel and it wouldn’t be the first time that someone had been rude to Harry when they saw the scars lithering his face and body.

“I’m proud of you, son. You are a wonderful big brother. Let’s hurry so we can join Harry and Poppy.”

They had been talking for some time in front of Madam Malkin’s, just when they entered a whitehaired boy and his father exited the building.

No-one else was inside the shop so Dudley was soon fitted. Not even fifteen minutes later and the pair left the shop with a bag of new clothes.

 

* * *

 

 

_Meanwhile with Harry and Poppy…_

“Okay Harry, do you have your school list and the list with suggestions of Minerva and Severus?” Poppy asked.

“Yes, aunt Poppy. I’m ahead in almost all of my classes, they still want me to attend classes and do my homework, but I’ll also get advanced lessons. If they see that I’m done too quickly with my tasks, they’ll give me extra credit tasks in class.” Harry said excitedly. The theory and spells of his first few years at Hogwarts would be a breeze. The professors that knew about his training would subtly give him harder tasks, so he wouldn’t stagnate in class or get bored.

“Okay, give me your list with the mandatory books and I’ll search them while you pick out any other books you’d like.” Poppy encouraged. Her little nephew loved learning, so he could very well be a Ravenclaw. She had a bet running with Minerva, Severus and Albus. Both Minerva and Severus wanted Harry in their house, while Albus guessed Harry would be in Hufflepuff. When they wanted to bet on Dudley too, they couldn’t because everyone agreed on Gryffindor.

Poppy had gathered all the books on the list, when she searched for her nephew. She soon found him talking to a redheaded boy. When she got closer, she almost couldn’t contain her anger.

“What’s wrong with your face?” The redhead asked arrogantly. “It looks like someone grabbed a knife and started cutting it randomly. I hope I don’t have to share a dormitory with you. I’d hate to have to look at that each morning. It is just too freaky!” The boy added cruelly.

Before Poppy could interrupt, she heard a loud voice that sounded vaguely familiar.

“How dare you say such things, Ronald? Luckily, Percy and I were just making our way over here! You’ll be grounded ‘till September and that includes no flying!” The redheaded woman yelled, attracting everyone’s attention in the store. Next to her three other redheaded boys had gathered and one girl. All of them were looking at their brother in disgust.

When the woman turned around she saw Poppy comforting Harry.

“Hello, madam Pomfrey. It would have been nicer seeing you again under better circumstances.” The woman said.

“Hello, Molly. Yes it is, I’d like you to meet my nephew, Harry.” Poppy said stiffly. Harry was holding her cloak tightly. The tears were clearly visible in his eyes.

“Love, I am so sorry for what my son said! Don’t listen to him. You are a beautiful young man and those scars show how brave you are. They just add character! Dry those tears and wear your scars with pride and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.” Molly concluded. She had tears running down her face too.

“Thank you, madam. I’ll try to do that.” Harry answered shyly. The family of redheads quickly left the store with Molly dragging her youngest son out by the ear. By the look on everyone’s faces, it wouldn’t be a pleasant summer for the boy.

Poppy quickly went to the cash register and paid for their books before escorting Harry out.

“I think I want to go home now, aunt Poppy.” Harry said sadly. “I just don’t feel like shopping anymore.”

“I understand, sweetie, let’s just wait for your dad and brother and go home. We can come back any day if we forgot something.”

While waiting for their family, Harry got distracted by a soft sound. It sounded a bit like a cat. His aunt was distracted watching the window of an old souvenir shop, so Harry decided to follow the sound. A couple of meters from where he stood was a dumpster that seemed to be making those weird sounds. When Harry got closer, he saw something moving underneath.

Seeing that his aunt was still distracted, Harry bent over and discovered what it was. It was a small black kitten that was mewling sadly. Without hesitation, the boy picked up the little kitten and started petting it. The moment Harry’s hand touched its little head, the tiny furball started purring and licking his fingers.

“I think I’ll name you Arthur after the tales of King Arthur and Merlin. Do you like that?” The kitten started to purr even harder, so Harry took that as a yes.

 

                                                                                                


	9. First friends

On the first of September the Dursley family was making their way to King’s Cross Station. It was a funny sight, two adults that closely resembled each other pushing two carts with huge trunks and two children. The blond boy was much taller than the raven-haired one. The taller one was carrying a cage with a beautiful barn-owl inside. The little one was carrying a cage too, but it was empty. If you looked closely, you could see that there was a small black kitten hidden in the pocket of his coat.

“This will be awesome, Harry! We are finally going to Hogwarts.” Dudley said for the seventh time that day.

“What if we’re not in the same house, Dudley? What if no-one wants to be my friend and you forget about me? What if everyone is like that rude boy and only sees my scars?” Harry whispered so that their father and aunt wouldn’t hear.

Dudley halted at once and pulled Harry close.

“Don’t you dare talk like that, little brother! I don’t care if we are in the same house or not. You will always be my little brother and best friend. I’ll always be there to protect you, if you want me to or not.” Dudley hugged his brother tightly. “Real friends will look past your scars, if they mind, they don’t deserve to be your friends!”

“Thanks, Dud…” Harry whispered.

Dudley grabbed Harry’s hand and together they walked through the gate to platform 9 ¾. Vernon and Marge followed quickly. Even after all these years of magic, it still baffled them every time they experienced something new.

On the platform were many parents and children running wild with their trunks and pets. Everyone wanted to say goodbye properly and get a good seat on the big red train.

“I am going to miss you boys so much!” Vernon said while hugging both his sons. “Don’t forget to send us a letter every week, we want to know what’s happening.”

Marge had a couple of tears running over her cheeks. “We will send you letters and candy. If there is anything you need, don’t forget to write it down. Should there be any problems, Poppy or one of the teachers can reach us quickly.” She said.

“Please be safe boys! Look out for each other, learn a lot of magic and have fun. Don’t get in trouble and behave, because I asked Severus to handle your punishments if you don’t.” Vernon concluded with a grin. “See you both at Christmas…”

Soon after the boys boarded the train and quickly found an empty cabin. They rushed to the window and waved at their dad and aunt until the train left the station.

“This is it, Dud. We are finally on our way to Hogwarts.”

The two brothers both grabbed a book and spend their time in comfortable silence…

 

 

 

 

… Well that was until someone rudely opened their door without knocking.

“Has anyone seen a toad? A boy named Neville has lost one.” A bushy-haired girl interrupted them. Behind her stood a round-faced, blond boy with tears in his eyes.

“Are you Neville?” Harry asked kindly. He got a nervous nod in return. “What is your toad’s name? Maybe I can help you.”

“I am already helping him! If you haven’t seen him, we’ll ask someone else.” The girl huffed.

“His… his name is Trevor. My Gran bought him for me.” Neville whispered.

“Accio Trevor the toad.” Harry spoke clearly with his wand in hand.  Five seconds later a big, fat toad landed in his other hand. “I believe this is yours, Neville.” Harry smiled.

Before Neville could accept his pet, the girl decided to intervene.

“How did you do that? You are a first year like us! You are not supposed to know these spells! I have read all my books and I didn’t even come across that spell!” She said annoyed.

“It is none of your business how he did it! Harry is very powerful! The both of us have already studied magic at home and we are more advanced than the rest of the first years. Don’t talk like that to him, he was only trying to be nice!” Dudley intervened. No-one was allowed to be rude to his little brother.

“That is not fair! You shouldn’t be allowed to do magic at home until you are 17. Why did you get special permission? Is it because you are disabled or such?” The girl asked crudely while looking Harry up and down. “I’m going to tell a teacher about this. I’m sure you’ll be expelled for doing magic without supervision.”

Before Dudley could react or maybe punch her, a voice came out of the corridor.

“Merlin, girl. Who are you to talk about someone else that way? Look at you, think you are the prettiest girl around?” A blond boy asked sarcastically. “For your information, scars are not a disability. And they sure as hell aren’t any of your business. Furthermore, almost all purebloods and most half-bloods have been taught magic by their parents. It’s tradition.” He sneered.

Seeing that she was outnumbered, the girl ran into the corridor. Neville was about to leave to when Harry interrupted.

“Neville, you can stay if you want. I’ll teach you that spell for when Trevor runs away again.” Harry offered.

“Thank you and Draco was right, scars aren’t a disability and it was mean of her to say so.” Neville said quietly.

“You can come in too, Draco. I want to thank you for protecting my little brother. My name is Dudley Dursley.” Dudley said while offering his hand.

“Malfoy, Draco Malfoy.” The blond took the offered hand. He didn’t recognize the name, so the boy must be a muggleborn, but oh well, the boys obviously could do some magic already. “Behind me are Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle.” He pointed to two big boys that still stood in the corridor. “We’ve been friends since birth and we already know Neville from all those ministry parties.”

“My last name is Longbottom, I’m Neville Longbottom.” Neville whispered, obviously afraid to be made fun of. However, there was no laughter.

“Nice to meet you all. Why don’t you come and sit. We are all first years and I’d like us all to be friends.” Harry said shyly. “Oh, almost forgot. My name is Harry, Harry Potter. I’m Dudley’s brother.”

The boys were a bit surprised to meet Harry, but they quickly saw that he was just a boy like everyone else.


	10. The train ride

The six boys became fast friends. They may have different backgrounds and upbringings, but that didn’t seem to matter one bit. In another universe, this could have led to a bitter rivalry, but luckily their love of magic was more important than their prejudice.

“What house do you want to be in?” Draco asked after the trolley witch had passed their compartment.

“I don’t know yet, haven’t really thought about it...” Harry said. “I think each house has its good and bad characteristics. Gryffindors are brave, but can be loud and careless. Hufflepuffs are loyal, but can be pushovers. Ravenclaws can be smart, but also know-alls. And finally Slytherins can be ambitious, but also prejudiced. I will be happy in each house. It doesn’t matter to me.”

“So you don’t think that there is anything wrong with being a Hufflepuff?” Neville stammered nervously. “My gran wants me to be in Gryffindor like my parents, but I don’t know if I’m brave enough.”

“Why would there be anything wrong with a Hufflepuff? They are known for being loyal, patient, kind and tolerant. They sound like perfect friends to me. It should be an honour to be in Hufflepuff. Did you know that there are tons of famous and influential Hufflepuff, besides the founder herself? Hengist of Woodcroft founded the all-wizard village of Hogsmeade and Newt Scamander is a famous magizoologist and wrote an innovative book that we still use this day.” Harry proclaimed proudly.

Draco, Vincent and Gregory were glad that they hadn’t insulted Hufflepuff in any way. None of them knew these facts. Their parents had always told them Hufflepuff was the house of losers, just a step above Gryffindor. What Harry said, made sense though. A Hufflepuff sounded like the ideal friend. All three of them were glad they learned this fact before even arriving at the school. After all, they didn’t want to upset or antagonize any potential friends or allies that would make their schooling easier.

“Well I said what I thought about the houses… What about you guys?” Harry interrupted everyone’s thoughts.

“I don’t hate any of the houses and would gladly go to all of them. But I know myself pretty well. I like learning, but when it comes to Harry’s safety, I’m more of a fighter than a thinker. I can be brave when necessary, but I can also be a bit loud… So, I guess that will make me a Gryffindor.” Dudley smiled while pulling Harry closer to his side.

Draco gave him a contemplative look. So far, he really liked Dudley and he clearly had the right intentions if protecting Harry was his main goal. Maybe not all Gryffindors were as bad as he thought. If Dudley would get too annoying and loud, Draco would just have to reel him back and tell him to pull it together.

“I know I’m going to be a Slytherin. My entire family was one and I would like to continue the tradition. Now that I’ve heard your explanation I don’t hate any of the other houses, but still… I believe Slytherin would be the best fit for me.” Draco said a bit pompously which brought a slight smile on Harry’s face.

“My gran will want me to be in Gryffindor, but Hufflepuff doesn’t sound too bad.” Neville whispered.

“What about you, Vincent and Gregory? What house do you want to be in?” Harry asked politely. He had the feeling those two boys were often pushed to the background and he wanted to help improve their confidence.

“Well… I don’t really know anymore. I always wanted to be in Slytherin, but now the other houses don’t bother me as much…” Vincent said.

“I agree. Slytherin probably is still the best house for us, but I want to have true friends like you said about Hufflepuffs. I always played with Vince and Draco when I was young. When they weren’t there, I never played with anyone else. Most children were scared of me, because I was so much bigger than them.” Gregory said sadly.

“That’s awful, but I know what you mean… I only had Dudley and a couple of others like Piers, because everyone was afraid of my scars.” Harry answered while getting even closer to Dudley. By now the little boy was practically sitting in his older brother’s lap for comfort. “It doesn’t matter what house you are in Greg! I will be your friend anyway! We won’t let you down.” Harry smiled.

“We will all stay friend. No matter the house we end up in!” Neville said bravely. Having friends clearly gave him more confidence.

“That’s right, Neville. We’ll stay together!” Draco replied. “I think we are almost at the school, the train is slowing down.”

Draco was right and soon after the boys left their trunks on the train and got off.

“Firs' years follow me” A giant of a man called from the side of the platform.

“That must be Hagrid, the groundskeeper. Professor Dumbledore has talked about him often. They are great friends.” Dudley informed his friends.

“People are often afraid of him or think he is an idiot, but he is just misunderstood because of his size. According to professor McGonagall he is a big teddy bear with a heart of gold.” Harry added. Vince and Greg automatically felt some sympathy for the big man. Both of them knew how it felt to be excluded.

None of the new group of friends wondered how Harry and Dudley already knew the professors, because everyone had told their own tale on the train.

Harry and Dudley talked about their dad, Harry’s scars, their aunt Poppy and the professors. Neville talked about his gran and great-uncle Algie. Everyone was disgusted when the boy told them about the time his great-uncle accidentally threw him out of a window to see if he was a squib. 

Next Draco told them about his parents. How they were very cold in public, but sweet and caring in private. His father hadn’t always made the right choices and was a bit controlling, but he had his heart in the right place.

The tale of Greg and Vince was similar, but not as happy as Draco’s. Their mothers were best friends and very kind. They practically raised the two boys as brothers and protected them from their respective fathers. Both Crabbe Sr. as Goyle Sr. were none too bright and a bit aggressive. Luckily they weren’t home very often. They travelled a lot for business. When they were home the boys had sleepovers at their houses or at Malfoy Manor. It wasn’t ideal, but Greg and Vince were happy with the arrangement.


	11. The sorting

There were only four students allowed per boat. Seeing that Dudley didn’t want to be separated from Harry, they decided to let the other boys share one with the four of them. Dudley went in first and gently helped Harry step in the unstable boat. Soon after they were joined by two girls. The first one was a redheaded girl with her hair in a long plait down her back. She introduced herself as Susan Bones and her friend as Hannah Abbott. Hannah was a pink-faced girl with blonde hair in two pigtails. They both seemed rather friendly in Harry’s opinion.

Everyone was in awe when they had their first glance of Hogwarts. All conversations halted and everyone just started at the beautiful castle. All the lights were lit and it gave the building a fairylike appearance.

“Wow, Dud. This will be our home away from home for the next seven years. How cool is that?” Harry whispered. He didn’t want to break the magical feeling everyone had.

“Wow, just wow. It’s even better than aunt Poppy told us.” Dudley responded.

Ten minutes later everyone was back on dry land. Hagrid had swiftly introduced the students to professor McGonagall.

“Welcome to Hogwarts!” The professor said. “The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory and spend free time in your house common room.”

Harry quickly gave Dudley, Neville, Draco, Vince and Greg a reassuring smile. The six of them would be a family no matter what.

“The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin.” Professor McGonagall continued. “Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule-breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the House Cup, a great honour. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.” _[Harry Potter and the philosopher’s stone – JK Rowling]_

The professor seemed strict to the nervous first-years, but she quickly gave Harry and Dudley a little smile before entering the great hall.

“Follow me, children.” She swiftly led them inside the great hall. Everyone followed them in proper lines of two. Harry next to Dudley, Neville next to Greg and Draco next to Vince. Each one of them was in awe over the magical ceiling.

The moment Harry recognized his aunt at the head table with Severus and Albus he gave them an enthusiastic wave. Poppy automatically waved back, Albus gave him a genuine smile and Severus rolled his eyes in exasperation and a quick nod of the head. Harry may be his favourite pupil, but he had absolutely no subtlety. The boy just wasn’t Slytherin material.

Professor McGonagall grabbed a chair and an old hat before placing it in the middle of the podium. All of the first-years were shocked when the hat started singing.

Oh you may not think I'm pretty,

But don't judge on what you see,

I'll eat myself if you can find

A smarter hat than me.

 

You can keep your bowlers black,

Your top hats sleek and tall,

For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat

And I can cap them all.

 

There's nothing hidden in your head

The Sorting Hat can't see,

So try me on and I will tell you

Where you ought to be.

 

You might belong in Gryffindor,

Where dwell the brave at heart,

Their daring, nerve, and chivalry

Set Gryffindors apart;

 

You might belong in Hufflepuff,

Where they are just and loyal,

Those patient Hufflepuffs are true

And unafraid of toil;

 

Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,

if you've a ready mind,

Where those of wit and learning,

Will always find their kind;

 

Or perhaps in Slytherin

You'll make your real friends,

Those cunning folks use any means

To achieve their ends.

 

So put me on! Don't be afraid!

And don't get in a flap!

You're in safe hands (though I have none)

For I'm a Thinking Cap!

_[Harry Potter and the philosopher’s stone – JK Rowling]_

 

“When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the chair to be sorted.” Professor McGonagall said.

“Abbott Hannah”

The girl with pigtails nervously went to the chair and put on the hat. It barely touched her head before it yelled _Hufflepuff_. The table under the yellow banner clapped enthusiastically.

Next was Susan Bones. She quickly followed her friend to the table of the badgers. A couple of students later it was Vince’s turn.

“Crabbe Vincent”

The hat was on his head for a while before it finally yelled _Slytherin_. Vince got a big applause of the table under the green banner and of his new friends.

“Dursley Dudley”

Dudley gave Harry a slight squeeze to his shoulder and bravely went up the small stairs to the podium. It was to no-one’s surprise when the hat called _Gryffindor_.

“Goyle Gregory”

They were almost halfway through when Greg was called up. It appeared he was a dilemma for the hat too, but after some contemplation the hat decided to re-join him with his brother in all but blood. _Slytherin_.

The rude girl from the train was apparently called Hermione Granger and was sorted in Ravenclaw.

“Longbottom Neville”

Neville was still a bit nervous when sitting on the chair, but after his talk with Harry he felt a lot more comfortable. And ultimately he was very excited when the hat finally yelled _Hufflepuff_.

“Malfoy Draco”

The hat hadn’t even touched his hair before it already yelled out _Slytherin_. The blond boy proudly walked towards his childhood friends. Thanks to Harry he didn’t hate the other houses, but he still wanted to be a snake like his father and mother.

“Potter-Dursley Harry” Professor McGonagall finally called. Immediately the entire hall was making noises. Some even went as far as to stand up in order to see the small boy.

Minerva gently pulled the hat over Harry’s head and waited impatiently. She had a bet running with Albus, Poppy and Severus. Although Severus had already forfeited their bet, because there was no way that the boy would be a Slytherin.

Harry’s sorting was the longest one so far, but after some time the hat enthusiastically called _Hufflepuff_. The table of the badgers went crazy and Harry quickly sat down next to Neville.

“Hello, Harry. My name is Cedric, welcome to Hufflepuff. I am a fourth year, but if you need any help don’t hesitate to ask for it.” The boy across Harry said kindly. He had dark hair and bright grey eyes.

“Thank you that is very nice of you.” Harry smiled before turning back to the sorting. All the teachers that he knew and his aunt gave him proud smiles.

Before the feast could start the rude redhead with the nice mother was sorted into Gryffindor much to Dudley’s disgust and a boy named Zabini was placed in Slytherin.


	12. The common room

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone, it's been a while. I broke my hand and now it needs to be operated, so updates will be a bit slow... :-(
> 
> But don't worry, I'm still going to continue this story! 
> 
> Love  
> Livinginthelight

“Come on, first years, follow me.” A boy with light brown hair yelled to the new Hufflepuffs after the feast.

Harry and Neville, along with the other first years quickly followed the prefect. After a short walk down a couple of stairs, they came across a pile of barrels.

“Okay everyone. We are now near our common room. The first couple of weeks the older students will help you find your way around the castle and to all of your classes. Behind this pile of barrels is the entrance to your home for the coming years. We don’t have a password like Slytherin and Gryffindor. We also don’t have a riddle like the Ravenclaws. If you want to enter our rooms you have to grab your wand and tap the barrel two from the bottom, middle of the second row. It is similar to entering Diagon Alley, but you have to do it in a specific rhythm. While tapping, you have to imagine the word ‘Helga Hufflepuff’. This means you have two longer taps for HEL-GA and three shorter ones for HUFF-LE-PUFF. If you tap the wrong barrel or use the wrong rhythm, the castle will think you are an intruder and punish you. The punishment are always different, but in the past intruders have been drenched in vinegar or painted black and yellow for a week. As you understand, it is crucial to keep our common room a secret and not tell other houses. If you aren’t sure which barrel to tap, I’d advise you to wait for a fellow Hufflepuff. Is that clear to everyone?” The boy asked.

He got all nods in return before he gently tapped his wand against the barrel. Behind him a tunnel opened that brought everyone into the common room. Most older students were already waiting in the room and were talking amongst each other about their summers.

The common room was a large, earthy, round room with low ceilings. The view from the round windows was of dandelions and rippling grass. Harry thought it was extremely cosy and it already reminded him of home.

In the room were a lot of plants hanging from the ceiling that gave a very natural feeling. In one corner of the room were a couple of desks, tables and chairs for homework, but the bigger part was filled with plush yellow and black patterned sofas and chairs with a lot of pillows. There also was a nice, warm furnace with bright orange flames. In another corner of the room were big cosy pillows, poufs and beanbags.

Overall, the room was everything Harry ever dreamed of.

“Listen up, firsties.” A cheerful blond girl said loudly to get everyone’s attention. “My name is Violet Davies and I’m your fifth year prefect. That doofus over there who brought you here without introducing himself first is Gabriel Truman.” She said with a cheeky wink to the enjoyment of her fellow Hufflepuffs. “Besides us there are two sixth year prefects and two seventh year prefects. Emma, Nigel, Philip and Lisa, please wave to our new little responsibilities.” Immediately two girls and two boys who were on the couches gave a friendly wave.

“Now that introductions are over, I want to welcome you to Hufflepuff. I am very happy that we have so many new students this year. If you have any questions or problems, please don’t hesitate to ask one of us. We are here to help you. As Hufflepuffs we are often thought of as the weakest house filled with imbeciles and losers, but that is anything but true. You should be proud of being a Hufflepuff. We are strong, responsible and protective of our own. If there are any disputes, we will sit together and talk it out without resort to violence or bullying.” Violet said enthusiastically.

“Our head of house is named Pomona Sprout. She also teaches Herbology. Our head is a very kind and patient witch. We can access her office through the door on your left.” She pointed to a black door in between two staircases. “Her normal office is on the second floor, but thanks to magic we can reach her quickly. Every evening after dinner you can go see her if you have any difficulties. On Mondays and Thursdays, she will be in the common room between 6pm and 8pm to help us with our homework.”

“This first week, professor Sprout will also have an individual conversation with each of you. This way, she can get to know you on a more personal level. When we are here, she will be our guardian and parental figure.” Gabriel continued. “A schedule will be on the noticeboard by tomorrow. I think that’s it for tonight… Is there anything I forgot?” He asked the older prefects.

“Both of you did a good job for your first briefing, but there are a couple of things I want to add.” The oldest prefect said. Harry thought this must be Philip.

“We have an important tradition that other houses don’t have. As Hufflepuffs we want to support you to the best of our abilities and we also want to learn how to be responsible. Helga Hufflepuff herself invented the system and ‘till this day, we still use it. We call it the buddy-system. Every first year will get an older buddy that will be their go-to person. Together you will learn how the school works and how to study more efficiently. Most likely this buddy will be a fourth year, but if there aren’t enough students, it can also be a fifth year. We will also announce your buddies next weekend.” Philip explained.

“I can see you are all quite tired already, so I suggest you go to bed early today. Tomorrow will be a big day. At breakfast you will get your schedule for your classes. Girls down the right staircase and boys down the left. Since you are the youngest students and we don’t want you to have any noise complaints, your rooms are at the lowest level. Each year you will go a room higher, so the seventh years are right underneath the common room.” The prefect concluded.

“Good night everyone, I hope you can sleep with all this excitement.” Violet said sweetly.


End file.
